Baked Grubs

Ask at the deli counter for a 5 oz (150 g) piece of ham, about ½ inch
(1 cm) thick. When sprinkling the cheese, don't worry if some misses the potatoes and gets on the baking sheet – it makes a nice crispy edge.

Best Maple Butter Tarts

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Make your own delectable custardy tarts instead of buying them. We've subbed in the very Canadian ingredient maple syrup for the more common corn syrup. Plus, we've included variations on the classic, with chocolate and pecans instead of raisins.

Method

Sour Cream Pastry: In bowl, whisk flour with salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Whisk water with sour cream; drizzle over flour mixture, tossing briskly with fork and adding more water if necessary to form ragged dough. Press into disc; wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

Bake in 350?F (180?C) oven until filling is set and pastry is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Run thin knife around edges to release tarts. Let cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

Method

In stand mixer with paddle attachment, or in bowl using wooden spoon, beat together butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy; stir in flour just until combined.

Press dough into parchment paper– lined 9-inch (2.5 L) square cake pan. Using palm of hand, flatten to make smooth, even surface. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Using knife, score surface of dough into 24 rectangles; prick each cookie several times with fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake in 300 F (150 C) oven until firm and pale golden, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; cut through score lines. Let cool completely in pan. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.)

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

This richly spiced apple butter makes more than you'll need for a single loaf of bread, but it'll keep in your fridge for a week or in your freezer for up to two months. Spread it onto warm bread and rolls, or stir it into cake batters in place of applesauce.

Method

In slow cooker, combine apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Stir in apple juice; cover and cook on high until apples are very tender, about 4 hours.

Scrape mixture into large bowl; using immersion blender, purée until smooth. (Alternatively, in batches, purée in upright blender.) Stir in lemon juice. Bring to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw before using.)

Tip from The Test Kitchen: For the best flavour, use a combination of your favourite sweet-tart cooking apples. We used a mix of McIntosh, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Gala.